Wow, not bad, a golden hand shake of RM87.1 million, for Badawi. Let’s wait further developments.

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Due to his constant flip flop in decisions, not many believed Abdullah would transfer power in 2010. Let alone 2009 and on the eve of his last few days. Whatever he claimed on the last day of the UMNO General Assembly, many still believed, if he had his way, he would stay on, sleep on his job and his non-punctual ways. What made Abdullah willing to vacate his Prime Ministerhip post? Before we try to ponder over it, lets recall that Abdullah was obviously upset with Muhyiddin for initiating pressure to expedite the power transfer. In fact, the stupid move by Dato Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to offer himself for the Deputy President was at Abdullah’s insistance to revenge Muhyiddin. So does the challenge by one-term Vice President, Dato Ali Rustam and possibly Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib as safe measure to split Muhyiddin’s votes. There had been talk of Abdullah trying to avoid the boot and save his family, financially and politically. Many conspiracy theories was floating of Najib being denied the Prime Ministership and be left with only the UMNO President position. Dr Mahathir himself spoke of such possibililty. The pervading question to all these theories is how will it take place. One can call it continuity or stability but the fact is, in Malaysia, unexpected events like coup d’tat never happens. Our post independence experiance with such emergency situation is only the racial riot of 1969. One theory said there will be an emergency proclaimation and Najib will be denied the Prime Minister post. However, such happening is remotely possible without a public unrest or catastrophe occuring. The excess politicicking now is not sufficient to claim the situation as lost of public order. The YDP Agong’s prerogative to call for an emergency must be based on the advise of the cabinet. That would be the last the Cabinet would resort to in the event of any public unrest for it means admittance to their inability to administer and provide the leadership to the nation. There must have been winds blowing that caused tree shaking talks of Unity Government and UMNO-PAS Talk. Abdullah did not met up with Anwar out of the blue. Anwar tried hard to discredit Najib since Ijok by-election in 2007. On the eve of Najib’s formal confirmation to the Presidency of UMNO, the foreign press and major global newspapers came out with conspiracy stories on the Altantunya murder and millitary deals. Anwar’s hand behind it is too obvious. As one former MP informed yesterday, Anwar was trying hard to get an appointment with the Agong in the last 10 days to no avail. He went further to say Anwar used Federal court judge and legal advisor to Agong, Dato Kadir Sulaiman to seek Agong to not accept Abdullah’s resignation. In the meanwhile, the former MP said Azmin and few other Pakatan leaders were tryng to convince Abdullah to meet and listen to what Agong had to say without expressing intention to resign. Despite mistake by the Chief Secretary to Government to announced ahead of the palace, Abdullah resignation this morning seemed almost inevitable. Thus the question is what made Abdullah decide not to be funny? For a while, he had kept the incoming PM and the public in the dark for a long time on his last date and was said yet to confirm the Istana’s planned farewell dinner for the 14th April. Abdullah’s statement after the UMNO General Assembly raised suspicion. On Sunday, the newspaper reported him saying the 28 projects for Kepala Batas will continue. That would be for the people of Kepala Batas and is of no consequence. It was his statement for the resumption of the RM4.3 billion Penang Bridge and RM2 billion Penang Central that puzzles me. When did the Government announced resuming the Penang Central project? Does it comes with the controversial Penang Global City Centre project? Penang Central was shelved by the Federal Government and Equine Capital’s PGCC was shelved by the newly installed DAP Government. Having heard from sources in Penang that Lim Guan Eng is rearing his true self with the Low Yat Groups, is there a deal cut between Abdullah and Lim Guan Eng? Yesterday, Bigdogdotcom revealed that Abdullah is seeking for the two acre Carcosa land on Federal Hill as a golden handshake. Carcosa used to be the residence of the British High Commissioner to Malaya/Malaysia until it was taken back by Government in 1984. It is now a premier land worth RM1,000 psf. Coupled with a Tunship for himself and undeserved 21 month wife Jeanne, are these terms demanded by Abdullah to resign from the Prime Ministership post and dump other dubious plans he had up his mind? One wonders now if he really meant what he said in his Damai Abadi poem. Perhaps, one shouldn’t ponder too much for we have a huge task ahead to repair the damage left in the trail of Abdullah. As someone once told me, the damage of Abdullah’s five years will take 15 years to repair. As for me today, I will be going for my much needed haircut upon confirmation from the palace.